Apparatus for storing, coloring, and handling food-stuffs.



Nu. 669,603.* Patented Mar. l2, l90l.

J. J. STAUFFACHER.

APPARATUS FOR STORING, COOLING, AND NANDL-lNP-FOOD STUFFS.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1900.)

(llq Ind-cl.)

Jqx

THE uonms PETERS c0. FHo'roLrrna. wasnmorom D. c.

simple, durable, and inexpensive construc :sistance will be sufficientto support the case the construction, arrangement, and combina-.

pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in :the accompanying drawings,in which porting and operating means and a sectional the ground. Fig. 2shows a side elevation of the supporting and operating means with one.wheels as they would stand when brought JOHN J. STAUFFACHER, OF AOKLEY,IOlVA.

APPARATUS FOR STORING, COOLING, AND HANDLlNG FOOD-STUFFS.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 669,603, dated March12, 1901.

Application filed October 5, 1900.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN J. STAUFFAOHER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Ack-' ley, in the county ofHardin and State of Iowa, have invented a newand useful Apparatus forStoring, Cooling, and Handling Food-Stuffs, of which the following is aspecification.

One object of my invention is to provide a device adapted to take theplace of ice-boxes and refrigerators, in which perishable foods may beplaced and lowered into a water-tight tube sunk in the ground and inwhich a carrier can be operated advantageously for storing foods wherethey may be cooled and preserved, and, further, to provide a carrier orcase specially adapted for storing food so it can be easily and quicklyelevated from the tube to gain access thereto and automatically held inany position without the use of ratchets or equivalent devices, even ifthe weight of the case containing the food exceeds that of thecouuterbalancing-weight.

A further object is to provide a device of tion, whereby the casecontaining the food may be conveniently and easily operated, theposition of the ropes for supporting the case and thecounterbalancing-weight readily and quickly adjusted to positions inaliuement with the openings provided for them, and a certain amount offriction automatically applied to the ropes when the operating-lever isreleased or its movements stopped, which rein any position within thelimit of its movement.

My invention consists in certain details in tion of the various parts ofthe apparatus, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, ashereinafter more fully set .forth,

Figure 1 shows a side elevationof th'e'supview of the case in which thefood is contained placed in position within a well or opening in side ofthe frame thereof removed and also by dotted lines showing the positionof the brush- Serial No. 32,101. (No model.)

a loose cover 11, having a central opening, through which a rope mayfreely pass. The

device for containing food comprises a-series of upright strips 12,having circular horizontal shelves 13 attached thereto, upon whicharticles of food, &c., to be cooled and preserved may be placed. Thecase thus formed is designed to enter within the tube 10. A rope 14 isfixed to the top shelf 13 and is passed through an opening in the part11. This part 11 is somewhat larger than the opening at the top of thetube, so that when the case is lowered the part 11 will remain on top ofthe opening and serve as a cover therefor,

and when the case is raised this part 11 will move upwardly on top ofthe case. At the otherend of the rope ii is a counter-balancingweight 15in a tube adapted to conceal and guide the weight in its up-aud-downmovements.

lhe means for raisingaud lowering the case comprise a frame made of twoplates 16, the

ends of which abut at 17, thusleaving a space between the plates, andthese plates are held together by means of the bolts 18, passed throughthe openings 19 in the plates. At thetop of the plates 16 are integrallaterallyprojecting lugs perforated to admit screws, whereby the devicemay be supported from a ceiling or the like. Near the central portion ofthe plates, above the center thereo are the slots 20, and I haveprovided means whereby the device may be supported in such a manner asto be capable of adjustment in any direction, as follows: A bar 21, of alength somewhat greater than the Width of the frame, ispassed throughthe slots 20, and.

this bar is provided with a longitudinal slot in its central portion. Abolt 23. is then passed through this slot upwardly to enter a supportpresented horizontally. Obviously when the frame is supported in thismanner it may be adjusted either longitudinally or transversely, so asto assume the desired position and be accurately centered over the wellor opening into which the case is lowered. A short distance beneath thecentral portion of the frame I have rotatably mounted a shaft- 23,having a crank 24 on its outer end and a peripherally-grooved wheel 25on its central portion between the sides of the frame. In each side ofthe said frame I have provided two slots 26 to incline upwardly and out-Wardly from the said shaft 23, and these slots extend from points ashort distance beyond the periphery of the wheel 25 to points somedistance upwardly and outwardly therefrom. In each pair of these slots Ihave mounted an axle 27. Fixed to each axle is a wheel 28, having agrooved periphery. It is obvious that these wheels may move in adirection toward the central wheel 25. For limiting the longitudinalmovement of the axles 2'7 I have provided the integral strips 29 on theouter surfaces of the plates 16 to overlap a portion of each axle, sothat the axles may not move longitudinally.

Near the lower edge of the frame I have provided the horizontally-extending slots 30, and in each pair of slots is a round bolt 31, having apulley 32, rotatably mounted on its central portion. By this arrangementit is obvious that these pulleys may be moved to any position within thelimit of the slots and then firmly clamped in position by manipulatingthe nut on the bolt without affecting the'rotary movement of the pulleyson the bolts In practical use itis obvious that the frame may be securedto a horizontal support and accurately adjusted to proper position overthe well or opening into which the case is to be placed. Then the ropeI; is passed on the inner side of the first pulley 32, over one of thewheels 28, under the wheel 25, over the other wheel 28, and against theinner face of the remaining pulley 32. The position of these pulleys 32is then adjusted as required to accurately center the case and theweight over the openings into which they are to descend. Assuming,further,"that it'is desired to raise the case, the crank 2el is turned,and obviously the case may be elevated to any position desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

An apparatus for storing, preserving and handling food, comprising incombination, a frame 16, means for adjustably connecting the frame withan elevated support,a shaft,23, rotatably mounted in said frame, agrooved wheel 25 on said shaft, two grooved wheels 28, rotatably mountedwithin the casing, to move in a direction upwardly and outwardly fromthe wheel 25, horizontally-adjustable pulleys 32 in said frame,a tube10, a case comprising the upright strips 12 and the shelves 13 andadapted to move up and down in said tube, a cover 11, above the case, arope fixed to the case and passed through the said cover and passed onthe inner sides of the pulleys 32 over the wheels 28 and underthe wheel25, and a weight 15 attached to the other end of said rope, and atubeadapted to conceal and guide said weight, allarranged and combined foroperation in the manner set forth, and for the purposes stated.

JOHN J. S'lAUFFACHER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. LAMM, JOHN EGGERT.

